In February we visited the Alhambra, sometimes called one of the new wonders of the world. Although this is somewhat of an exaggeration, it definitely is a beautiful building worth seeing. Our experience may be useful to provide you with a few tips. First of all, since you have to book a viewing time for the Nasrid Palaces part of the tour, the guide books tell you to get there early to avoid the crowds. However, this does not help if a couple of buses of Japanese tourists have booked the same time, making it very difficult to get any decent crowd-free photos of the beautiful architecture and embellishments. It seems a matter of luck whatever time you book. The early start in February also means extremely cold temperatures. So wear plenty of layers, as it might get warmer later if the sun comes out. This seems rather ironic when you read about the "courtyards and fountains built to provide cool respite from the baking Andalucian sun". But the cool weather provides opportunities for fantasic photographs of the Alhambra, with the massive snow-capped mountains behind. A great place to take these photos is from the Mirador de San Nicolas in the Albaicin. This viewpoint was certainly very popular at sunset on the day we were there. But it was the Day Of Andalusia public holiday when all the locals joyfully stroll around the atmospheric old city of Granada. We also read about the atmospheric "candlelit" night visits to the Nasrid Palaces. So back we went at night. This proved to be a disappointment. First of all, because there were no candles, only a few spotlights. Secondly, the night-time entrance is in a completely different place from the main entrance, but this is not mentioned when you book the tickets, and it is not sign-posted at all. We ended up blundering into a concert hall by mistake! Finally, make sure you visit the Generalife gardens as well. They are beautiful even in chilly February.
